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15th June 2023
10:24am BST
Boris Johnson has been found to have knowingly misled Parliament by a cross-party investigation.
The former prime minister, who resigned as the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip on Friday having received a copy of the report, would have been handed a 90-day suspension which would have paved the way for a by-election in west London.
He will escape that punishment, but the committee recommended that he should not receive the pass granting access to Parliament which is normally given to former MPs.
Johnson hit out at what he called a “deranged conclusion”, accusing the Tory-majority group of MPs he has repeatedly sought to disparage of lying.
He called the committee led by Labour veteran Harriet Harman “beneath contempt” and claimed its 14-month investigation had delivered “what is intended to be the final knife-thrust in a protracted political assassination”.
He also dubbed the committee a “kangaroo court”.
But this heart-rending account from a Radio 4 caller from Worcestershire puts to bed any claims from the former prime minister that he's been unfairly treated.
In it, Philippa Bateman emotionally recalls how she was unable to visit her daughter, who was suffering mentally from the effects of the pandemic and later took her own life.
The deeply moving account serves as a poignant reminder of the profound toll the pandemic has taken on humanity and the imperative of strong leadership and accountability during times of crisis.
It is a message echoed by PoliticsJOE editor Oli Dugmore, who also dismissed the notion that the Privileges Committee is a kangaroo court.
"Boris Johnson always was, always will be, a liar", he said.
Watch the Pubcast clip in full below:
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